Strippable unsaturated interpolymer compositions

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a method of forming strippable films of certain unsaturated hydrocarbon polymers which are non-rubbery interpolymers of a cyclic polyene and at least one monoolefin, said interpolymer having an essentially saturated carbon chain containing a substantial proportion of the total carbon atoms in the polymer molecule and containing sufficient ethylenically unsaturated groups in the polymer molecule to permit substantial curing of films thereof by an oxidative mechanism, said interpolymers having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.6 or less. The strippable films are prepared by incorporating into the interpolymer composition an effective amount of a complex organic polyphosphoric ester acid anhydride.

United States Patent Schimmel [4 1 July 18, 1972 [54] STRIPPABLE UNSATURATED INTERPOLYNIER COMPOSITIONS Primary Examiner-Joseph L. Schofer Assistant ExaminerRichard A. Gaither [72] Inventor: Karl F. Schilrunel, Verona, Pa. A" omey chish 01m and Spencer 73] Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa. I

[22] Filed: May 23, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 827,177

[52] US. Cl. ..260/80.78, 260/88.2 S, 1 17/132 [51] Int. Cl.... ..C08f 15/40, C08f 19/00, C08f 29/08 [58] Field of Search ..260/88.2 S, 80.78

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,008,939 1 H1961 Schroeder et al....'. ..260/88.2 3,050,487 8/1962 Solomon 3,097,194 7/1963 Leonard et 3,380,927 4/ l 968 Edelstein et al. 3,496,129 2/1970 Wismer et al ..260/23.7

57 ABSTRACT This invention relates to a method of forming strippable films of certain unsaturated hydrocarbon polymers which are nonrubbery interpolymers of a cyclic polyene and at least one monoolefin, said interpolymer having an essentially saturated carbon chain containing a substantial proportion of the total carbon atoms in the polymer molecule and containing sufi'icient ethylenically unsaturated groups in the polymer molecule to permit substantial curing of films thereof by an oxidative mechanism, said interpolymers having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.6 or less. The strippable films are prepared by incorporating into the interpolymer composition an effective amount of a complex organic polyphosphorie ester acid anhydride.

12 Claims, No Drawings STRIPPABLE UNSATURATED INTERPOLYMER COMPOSITIONS In Applications Ser. Nos. 413,326, filed Nov. 23, 1964; 460,544, filed June I, 1965; and 473,235, filed July 19, 1965, as well as Belgian Pat. No. 692,486 and French Pat. Nos. 1,492,157 and 1,487,010, which are incorporated by reference, and elsewhere, there is described a group of nonrubbery, unsaturated interpolymers which are partially useful as coating compositions. These compositions normally show excellent adhesion to conventional substrates, for example, metal, wood and plastics.

It has now been found that the combination of certain phosphate esters with the hydrocarbon interpolymers described above produces a strippable film which retains sulficient protective properties but which is removable when desired. These compositions are useful as temporary protection against environmental attack of a substrate, for example, rusting or corrosion of metal, yet the film can be comparitively easily removed when desired. For example, the film has utility in protecting a substrate in transit or storage.

The phosphorous ester utilized in the compositions of the invention is an orthophosphate or polyphosphate ester of conjointly an aliphatic alcohol and a nonionic adduct of ethylene oxide and reactive-hydrogen-containing organic compounds. In the embodiment of greatest effectiveness these phosphate co-esters are acidic, that is, less than all of the protons supplied by the phosphorylating agent are taken up in the conjoint esterification with alcohol and nonionic adduct so as to give a final product of very low pH when dispersed in aqueous medium.

In forming the co-esters there is used either orthophosphate or polyphosphate acids or anhydrides to conjointly esterify and link through a phosphate bridge the aliphatic alcohols and nonionic adducts. For example, orthophosphoric acid or its anhydride phosphorous pentoxide may be employed. In addition, the homologous series of straight chains of interlinked orthophosphate groups represented by polyphosphates, for example, pyrophosphoric acid and tripolyphosphoric acid can be used. There is achieved good results with a commercially available material containing about 105 percent of polyphosphoric acid.

As the aliphatic alcohol which is to be esterified in accordance with the invention, there is used any C3-C1; monohydric aliphatic alcohol examples of which are any primary or secondary hexyl alcohol, 2-ethylhexyl alcohol, isooctyl alcohol, iso-decyl alcohol, dodecyl alcohol, nonyl alcohol, hexadecyl alcohol and mixtures thereof. Excellent results may also be achieved with the so-called oxo-process" alcohols made by the catalytic addition of carbon monoxide and hydrogen to monoethylenically unsaturated olefins and comprising mixtures of predominantly straight chain primary alcohols in the C to C range, or mixtures of isomers of a single alcohol such as iso-octyl alcohol and some of the others named specifically hereinabove.

As noted previously, the phosphate co-esters of the invention include as a reacted component a nonionic compound which is an adduct of ethylene oxide and an organic compound containing reactive hydrogen atoms. Such reactive hydrogens may be derived from hydroxy, carboxylic, amino or mercapto groups and thus many different organic compounds may be used for forming the adduct. For example, alkylated phenols substituted with one or more alkyl groups of six to 18 carbon atoms may be used, specifically, hexyl phenol, octyl phenol, dinonyl phenol, dodecyl phenol, and monoand dihexadecyl phenols. Aliphatic alcohols having six to 25 carbon atoms such as hexyl alcohol, octyl alcohol, decyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, palmityl alcohol, and abietyl alcohol may be used. Another class of organic compounds containing reactive hydrogen atoms which may be employed for making nonionic adducts with ethylene oxide are aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having six to 20 carbon atoms per molecule. Examples are hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and rosin and its component abietic acid. In addition, partial esters of any of said carboxylic acids with polyhydric alcohols containing two to six hydroxy groups may be employed. Examples of such polyhydroxy compounds are ethylene, propylene, butylene, and hexylene glycols, glycerine, pentaerythritol, sorbitol and mannitol. Still another class of reactive-hydrogen-containing compounds which may be reacted with ethylene oxide to form nonionic adducts of utility in the invention are primary amines of six to 20 carbon atoms, examples of which are hexyl amine, octyl amine, nonyl amine, decyl amine, dodecyl amine and hexadecyl amine as well as di-and triamines of the same number of carbon atoms, e.g., ethylene diamine, diethylene triamine, etc. Finally, ethylene oxide adducts of alkyl mercaptans containing six to 20 carbons such as hexyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, dodecyl and hexadecyl mercaptans may also be used.

The weight proportions of the C C monohydric aliphatic alcohol and the nonionic adduct may vary within the range of about 5 to parts of the nonionic adduct per parts total of the mixture of the alcohol and the adduct. Ordinarily, we use about 5 to 75 parts of the nonionic adduct per 100 parts total of the mixture of the adduct and the C C monohydric alcohol. The total number of mols combined of the C C monohydric alcohol and of the nonionic adduct to the total number of mols of phosphorylating agent, calculated as phosphorous pentoxide (P 0 is within the range from about 1:1 toabout 5:].

These esters and their method of manufacture are set forth in US. Pat. No. 3,380,927, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The interpolymers of this invention contain a substantial proportion of a polyunsaturated hydrocarbon, preferably having nonconjugated ethylenic groups, and interpolymerized therewith at least one monoolefin having a single copolymerizable ethylenic group. The interpolymers are obtained by polymerization in the presence of a transition metal catalyst, and they are further characterized by containing sufficient remaining ethylenic unsaturation in the polymer molecule to permit substantial curing of films thereof by oxidative mechanism.

Substantial curing by oxidative mechanism means that a thin film of the material upon exposure to air cures sufficiently to become tack-free and essentially insoluble in aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as heptane. Films of the interpolymers contemplated herein cure by auto-oxidation, whereby they absorb oxygen from the air and build up a crosslinked structure, probably through the formation of intermediate hydroperoxides and other oxygenated compounds. While curing may continue for days, or even weeks, sufficient curing to achieve a tack-free state takes place within a reasonable time, 24 hours usually being taken as indicative.

The temperature of curing can vary. The preferred interpolymers substantially cure at ambient temperatures, and in any event below 100 F., but desirable materials can be produced which require somewhat higher curing temperatures, although in all cases the cure mechanism is oxidative. It is to be understood that in defining the interpolymers herein, the curing properties set forth do not limit the possible methods of curing that can be used, for example, driers such as metal naphthenates can be employed to accelerate the cure, or a high oxygen atmosphere and higher temperatures than the minimum necessary can be used for the same purpose. Crosslinking agents can also be added, or cure can be induced by ultraviolet or other radiation, with or without the presence of photosensitizers, such as benzophenones.

The non-rubbery interpolymers utilized in the compositions of the present invention differ from the rubbery polymers known heretofore in several important respects, including the following:

1. The interpolymers herein contain a comparatively high degree of functional unsaturation. This permits their curing by an oxidative mechanism to a highly cross-linked structure, whereas the rubbery polymers cannot be cured to this extent and require the use of a vulcanizing agent to achieve any degree of cure at all. The preferred interpolymers produced in accordance with this invention contain at least about 2 weight percent unsaturation, as defined below, and may have up to about 25 percent or even more. The rubbery polymers used as elastomers contain at most about 2 weight percent unsaturation, and generally less. It is extremely difiicult to accurately determine unsaturation of these polymers by the iodine value procedure; however, the iodine values calculated from the level of unsaturation of the interpolymers herein are higher than those of the common rubbery polymers.

2. As indicated, the mechanism of curing of these interpolymers differs from that of the rubbery polymers, and the extent of crosslinking thereby achieved is much higher. Whereas the rubbery polymers have a very low crosslink density, even if vulcanized, films of the present interpolymers are, contrastingly, air-drying, and when air-dried are sufficiently cured to achieve the properties necessary in a desirable coating, i.e., hardness, mar resistance, abrasion resistance, and the like. The mechanism of cure is oxidative, involving the reac tion of oxygen with the unsaturated linkages. This is evidenced, for example, by continuous infra-red spectrographic examinations of a film, which shows a progressive increase in oxidation products, such as carbonyl, during curing.

3. The interpolymers of this invention are of lower molecular weight than the rubbery polymers, as indicated by their lower intrinsic viscosity. (Intrinsic viscosity is described, for example, in the book by Allen entitled TECHNIQUES OF POLYMER CHARACTERIZATION, Butterworth Publications, Ltd., London 1959); the values herein being measured in benzene at 25 C., using an Ubbelohde Dilution Viscometer.) The intrinsic viscosity of the known rubbery polymers is at least 1.0, and usually 1.5 or higher, corresponding to a molecular weight of 50,000 or more. This is generally considerably higher than the intrinsic viscosity of the present interpolymers, which have an intrinsic viscosity no higher than about 0.6, and preferably no higher than 0.4, and usually quite lower.

4. The present interpolymers are much more soluble in organic solvents than are the aforesaid rubbery polymers and can be dissolved in appreciable concentrations while maintaining a usable solution viscosity. For example, the preferred interpolymers have a Gardner-Holdt viscosity of Z or lower at 20 percent solids concentration in Solvesso 100 (aromatic naphtha) or xylene. This permits their use as a film-forming component in organic solvent-based coating compositions and, therefore, they can be used to provide stable coating compositions having desirable application properties. Solutions of rubbery polymers containing only about to percent solids have a completely unworkable viscosity, whereas there can be obtained solutions of the present interpolymers in benzene, xylene, aromatic naphtha or solvents containing as much as 70 percent or more resin solids having a utilizable viscosity.

5. The present interpolymers, even when cured in a typical rubber formulation, do not display the characteristics attributed by the art to rubbers and elastomers.

In addition to their advantages over the related rubbery polymers, the interpolymers of the invention are highly advantageous as compared, for example, to the polymers of butadiene which have been employed in coating compositions. For instance, polybutadiene and butadiene-styrene copolymers result in brittle films which are useful only in very thin coatings, or which must be highly plasticized or otherwise modified to achieve the desired properties; thicker films of these materials can be cured only with extreme difliculty. The present interpolymers, on the other hand, are inherently flexible even in relatively thick coatings, and articles coated with these interpolymers can be formed and fabricated without destroying the continuity of the film.

Such differences are attributable in large part to the differing basic structure of the present interpolymers. These interpolymers have an essentially saturated carbon chain as the polymer backbone containing a substantial proportion (i.e., percent or more) of the total carbon atoms in the polymer molecule. This polymer backbone, while essentially or predominantly saturated, contains some ethylenic unsaturation, principally in terminal position. At least a major part of the unsaturated linkages remaining in the polymer molecules are in pendant groups attached to the main polymer chain and are derived from the ethylenic linkages in the polyunsaturated component of the interpolymer.

The extent of unsaturation is sufficient to permit curing by oxidative mechanism, which in general requires at least about 2 percent by weight of unsaturation in the polymer. Percent by weight of unsaturation, as employed herein, refers to the weight of groups of the structure I l u eu compared to the total weight of the interpolymer. For instance, 2 percent by weight of unsaturation means each I00 grams of interpolymer contain two grams of carbon present in groups of the structure The extent of unsaturation in a large part determines the curing characteristics of coatings made from the interpolymer and the preferred materials have at least about 2.5 percent by weight of unsaturation. For good curing characteristics at ordinary room temperatures, it is desirable that the polymer contain at least about 3.5 percent by weight unsaturation.

As indicated above, it is difiicult to accurately determine the extent of unsaturation in these products by ordinary analytical techniques. For example, iodine value determinations have been found to be unreliable, and accurate analysis by chemical means in general requires very tedious and timeconsurning procedures. One method which is applicable and which is usually convenient is by means of infra-red spectroscopic examination. Using such a method, the infra-red curve of the interpolymer is obtained in which the unsaturation is exhibited by a characteristic peak, for example, at about 3.3 microns in carbon tetrachloride solutions of interpolymers containing dicyclopentadiene (other solvents may shift this peak somewhat). The quantitative extent of unsaturation is determined by comparing the characteristic peak obtained from the interpolymer with that of a known material of similar structure and previously determined unsaturation level. Other techniques using infra-red examination can also be employed.

Another method for determining the extent of unsaturation is by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This is particularly applicable to interpolymers containing unsaturation derived from polyunsaturated compounds with residual unsaturation resulting from linkages, where R is hydrogen or alkyl, as in the case of the preferred interpolymers produced from dicyclopentadiene and similar polyunsaturated hydrocarbons. This method is described in detail in Application Ser. No. 413,326, as well as in Belgian Pat. No. 692,486, which are incorporated by reference.

It should be noted that the reactivity of the interpolymers herein is such that small but significant amounts of unsaturation may be lost by oxidation or other reaction during handling, This is especially true of small samples used for analysis. Therefore, it is desirable to protect the samples as much as possible, using, for example, an inert gas blanket, and to minimize handling and exposure. Otherwise, low values may be obtained on analysis. For this reason, it is usually better to rely on the curing characteristics as indicative of the necessary extent of unsaturation, with numerical values being used chiefly for comparison of samples handled similarly.

The proportions of the components of the interpolymer can be varied widely, it being necessary only to provide sufficient unsaturation in the polymer to permit oxidative curing. The amount varies with the particular polyunsaturated compound. For instance, there should be interpolymerized along with the monoolefin or monoolefins at least about 11 percent of dicyclopentadiene or similar diene.

Among the polyunsaturated compounds that can be employed in producing the non-rubbery interpolymers herein are the various cyclic dienes and other cyclic polyenes. It is preferred that the polyunsaturated hydrocarbon contain nonconjugated ethylenic groups, and it is preferred that it be alicyclic, this being particularly the case when the polyunsaturated compound contains conjugated unsaturation. Thus, nonconjugated polyenes and conjugated alicyclic polyenes are preferred.

Included among the polyunsaturated compounds that can be employed are cyclic polyenes such as cycloalkadienes; and substituted norbornenes, e.g., 5-alkenyl-2-norbornenes; substituted norbomadienes, e.g., 2-alkyl norbornadienes. The polyene may contain substituents, such as halogen or oxygencontaining radicals, but, in general, it is preferred to employ unsubstituted hydrocarbons containing only carbon and hydrogen.

Some representative examples of specific polyunsaturated compounds which can be utilized are:

l ,3-Cyclopentadiene l ,3-Cyclooctadiene Methyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene 1-Methyl-3-isopropyl-l ,3-cyclopentadiene Dicyclopentadiene Tricyclopentadiene Methyll ,3-cyclopentadiene dimer 2-Methyl-4-ethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene dimer 1,4-Cyclohexadiene 1,5-Cyclooctadiene l ,S-Cyclododecadiene 1,5 ,9-Cyclododecatriene l ,4,6-Cyclooctatriene 5-( 2 '-Butenyl)-2-norbornene 5-( 1,S-Propenyl)-2-norbornene 5-( 2 -Heptyl-l -undecenyl-2-norbornene 5-(2-Propyl-2'-pentenyl)-2-norbornene 5-Methylene-2-norbornene Z-Methyl norbornadiene Z-Ethyl norbornadiene 2-Isopropyl norbornadiene 2-l-leptyl norbornadiene l,8( 9 )-p-Menthadiene 5-Vinylbicyclo[2.2. l ]hept-2-ene Bicyclo[4.3.0]nona-3,7-diene Preferably the cyclic polyene is selected from the group consisting of cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, tricyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadiene dimer. More preferably, the cyclic polyene is dicyclopentadiene.

Any monoolefin having a single copolymerizable ethylenic group can be interpolymerized with the polyene. Although interpolymers satisfactory for some purposes can be made by interpolymerizing the polyunsaturated compound with a single monoolefin, e.g., copolymers of ethylene and dicyclopentadiene, or propylene and dicyclopentadiene, it is preferred to employ at least two comonomers with the polyunsaturated compound, one of these being ethylene. It is further preferred that ethylene comprise a substantial proportion of the interpolymer, i.e., at least about 30 percent by weight. It is desirable that the interpolymer be amorphous rather than substantially crystalline, and the tendency of ethylene to form crystal line polymers is reduced by the inclusion of a second comonomer.

Thus a class of preferred interpolymers comprises a nonconjugated diene, ethylene, and at least one other monoolefin having a single terminal ethylenic group.

Of the large number of usable monoolefins, the preferred comonomers include those having the formula where R is alkyl having, for example, up to 20 carbon atoms and R is hydrogen or alkyl of up to about 20 carbon atoms. Compounds of this class include propylene, 2-methylpropene, 2-propylhexene-l l-butene, 4-methyl-l-pentene, l-pentene, l-hexene, l-octane, S-methyl-l-nonene, 5,6,5-trimethyLldecene, l-dodecene, l-tetradecene and l-octadecene.

The proportion of the second comonomer is not critical since, as mentioned, copolymers of a single monoolefin of the class described with the polyunsaturated compound can be employed. The preferred proportions vary depending on the identity of the particular monomers. For example, interpolymers of ethylene, propylene and a nonconjugated diene, usually dicyclopentadiene, are among the most desirable interpolymers herein. Such interpolymers generally contain from about 10 percent to about 70 percent of ethylene, from about 10 percent to about 40 percent of propylene and from about 5 percent to about 50 percent of the diene. It will be understood that the minimum amount of diene that can be em ployed depends to some extent upon its molecular weight. (The above percentages are by weight; the same is true of all parts and percentages throughout this specification unless otherwise specified.)

The interpolymers having the properties set forth above are produced from the foregoing monomers by carrying out the interpolymerization in the presence of a catalyst composed of an organic vanadium compound and an alkyl aluminum halide co catalyst.

The most efficient organic vanadium compounds have been found to be vanadium tris(acetylacetonate) and vanadium oxybis(acetylacetonate). The amount of vanadium compound catalyst present is highly important in obtaining interpolymers of the desired properties. The concentration of catalyst employed is defined in terms of the concentration of the vanadium compound in the reaction mixture. It has been found that .this concentration is preferably maintained at no higher than 0.002 mole per liter in order to produce the desired products in efficient amounts. The minimum concentration is not critical, since any amount produces some product. It is generally preferred to have present at least about 0.001 millimole of vanadium compound per liter.

The alkyl aluminum halide co-catalyst utilized along with the vanadium compound is typically ethyl aluminum dichloride, ethyl aluminum sesquichloride, diethyl aluminum chloride, butyl aluminum sesquichloride, ethyl aluminum sesquiiodide, or other alkyl aluminum halide. The concentration of the co-catalyst is not ordinarily critical; it is usually employed in an amount between about 3 and about 30 moles per mole of vanadium compound.

In carrying out the process, there is employed a liquid reaction medium, which is suitably an organic solvent or one of the reactants in liquid form. Suitably purified xylene or similar aromatic solvent is generally utilized. For efficient operation, care should be taken to exclude oxygen in moisture. The temperature is maintained at room temperature or preferably below, e.g., 15 C. or lower, with temperatures as low as C. or lower being advantageously utilized. One or more of the reactants is usually a gas, and they are generally fed to the reaction vessel as the polymerization progresses. Atmospheric pressure can be utilized in carrying out the interpolymerization reaction, but it is usually more efficient to employ elevated pressures, even up to 1,000 atmospheres or more.

There is usually also included in the reaction mixture a molecular weight regulator, such as hydrogen, zinc dialkyl, norbornadiene or 4-vinylcyclohexenel which aids in obtaining low molecular weight interpolymers.

The amount of phosphorus ester employed may be varied widely. An effective amount which renders the film strippable may be employed. Generally, there is employed at least about 1 percent by weight of the ester, based on the weight of the interpolymer. Preferably, at least about 5 percent of the ester is employed. The upper limit is not critical. As the amount of ester increases, the strippability increases, the upper limit depends on the degree of adhesion desired as well as film integrity which varies with the resin employed and the intended use. For practical purposes, below about 15 percent of ester is preferred and preferably below about 10 percent. Below are several illustrations of the manner in which th interpolymers employed herein are ordinarily produced:

lnterpolymer A A clean, dry reaction vessel was flushed with nitrogen gas and charged with 10 liters of dried benzene. Ethylene and propylene were passed into the solvent at a rate of 6.0 liters and 120 liters per minute, respectively, and there were added 176 milliliters of dicyclopentadiene, 50.4 milliliters of bicyclo[2.2.l]hepta-2,5-diene, and 27.4 milliliters of a 1.4 molar solution of ethyl aluminum sesquichloride in benzene. While maintaining the temperature at about C., 50 milliliters of a 0.02 molar solution of vanadium oxybis(acetylacetonate) in benzene were introduced. The offgas rate dropped and the ethylene and propylene rates were increased to and liters per minute for 1 minute, during which the off-gas rate again rose. There were then added 10 milliliters of bicycloheptadiene, 35.2 milliliters of dicyclopentadiene, and 50 milliliters of the vanadium oxybis(acetylacetonate) solution. When absorption decreased the above additions were again made, and this was repeated for a total of six additions. The polymerization was carried out for a total of 44 minutes from the time of the first vanadium catalyst addition. Methanol was added to the reaction mixture and it was washed with aqueous HCl, and then washed acid free with distilled water. The benzene was stripped at reduced pressure and replaced with about 2 liters of mineral spirits, and stripping continued until the solution had a solids content of about 43 percent and a Gardner Holdt viscosity of Y-. infrared analysis of the product showed the absence of free dicyclopentadiene and indicated that the approximate polymer composition was 50 percent ethylene, 20 percent propylene and percent dicyclopentadiene, all in polymerized form. The intrinsic viscosity of the interpolymer was 0.25 deciliter/gram.

lnterpolymer B A clean dry reaction vessel was charged with 2.0 liters of dried benzene and sparged with nitrogen for l5 minutes. While passing ethylene and propylene at the rate of 6 liters per minute each into the solution, there were added 35.4 milliliters of dicyclopentadiene, and 10.1 milliliters of bicycloheptadiene. The mixture was cooled to 5 C., and 2.0 milliliters of a 1.2 molar solution of ethyl aluminum sesquichloride in benzene were then added. Cooling was maintained throughout the polymerization, which was initiated by the addition of 4.0 milliliters of a 0.05 molar solution of vanadium tris(acetylacetonate) in benzene. Polymerization began immediately, as evidenced by the rise in temperature to 8 C. and complete absorption of all gases passing into the solution, i.e., no off-gas could be observed. After about one minute, off-gas began to be observed once more. Reaction conditions were maintained for 6 minutes after the addition of the vanadium compound, during which time the temperature dropped slowly to 5 C. The reaction was terminated by the addition of methanol, and the reaction mixture was washed first with aqueous HCl and then washed acid-free with distilled water. Benzene was stripped off and replaced with aromatic naphtha (boiling range 150 C. to 170 C.) and stripping was continued until the solution had a solids content of 25.0 percent and a Gardner-Holdt viscosity of E. The intrinsic viscosity of the interpolymer produced was 0.20 deciliter/gram.

lnterpolymer C Following a similar procedure to those described, a copolymer of ethylene and dicyclopentadiene was made from 5 the following reaction mixture:

Milliliters Benzene 2000 Norbornadiene l0 Dicyclopentadiene 40.7 10 Ethyl aluminum sesquichloride (l.2 molar solution in benzene) 2.0 Vanadium tris( acetylacetonate) (0.05 molar solution in benzene) 4.0

The reaction mixture was maintained at about 20 C. and ethylene was passed into the solution at a rate of 12 liters per minute. The product had a solids content to percent and a Gardner-Holdt viscosity of 2, The copolymer obtained had an intrinsic viscosity of 0.24 deciliter/gram.

Set forth below are several examples of the invention illustrating certain embodiments thereof. It will be understood that the invention is not to be construed as being limited to the details given. All parts and percentages in the examples as well as throughout the specification are by weight unless otherwise specified.

EXAMPLE 1 The interpolymer utilized in this example comprised 59.5 percent ethylene and 40.5 percent dicyclopentadiene and contained 0.1 percent amyl phenol. The interpolymer had an intrinsic viscosity in benzene at 25 C. of 0.25.

Coatings on steel were prepared from a solution of the above interpolymer in hydrocarbon solvent (Enjay 100) and combined with various driers and various levels of complex organic polyphosphoric ester acid anhydride.

Composition Parts By Weight Results 100 100 I00 (All showed adhesion .005 (to scribe treated Resin Manganese drier Lead drier 0.2 0.2 (with Scotch tape 45 Zinc drier 0.2 0.2 (after 24 hours.

Phosphate anhydride 0 0 0 Resin I00 l00 100 (All showed loss of (adhesion to scribe 5O Manganese drier Lead drier 0.2 0.2 (treated with Scotch Zinc drier 0.2 0.2

(tape after 24 hours.

Phosphate anhydride l-2 Strodex P100 A commercially available complex organic polyphosphoric ester acid anhydride prepared in accordance with US. Pat. 3,380,927 with a molecular weight of 1040 and a neutralization equivalent of 240.

EXAMPLE II After 6-7 weeks exterior exposure all films were readily strippable yet showed protective ability.

Similar results are obtained using other complex organic polyphosphoric ester acid anhydrides described and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,927 in place of the one shown in the examples. Other resins within the scope hereinabove set forth may likewise be utilized with equivalent results.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, there are described above the invention and what are now considered to be its best embodiments. However, within the scope of the appended claims, it is to be understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A composition comprising:

A. a non-rubbery interpolymer of a cyclic polyene and at least one monoolefin having a single copolymerizable ethylenic group, said interpolymer having an essentially saturated carbon chain containing a substantial proportion of the total carbon atoms in the polymer molecule, an intrinsic viscosity of no higher than about 0.6 and at least about 2.5 percent by weight of ethylenic unsaturation in the polymer molecule; and

B. at least about 1 percent of a co-ester of (l) a phosphorous compound selected from the group consisting of phosphorus pentoxide, orthophosphoric acid and polyphosphoric acid, (2) an aliphatic monohydric alcohol containing from six to 16 carbon atoms, and (3) a nonionic adduct of ethylene oxide and an organic compound selected from the group consisting of alkylated phenols containing at least one alkyl group of six to 18 carbon atoms, aliphatic alcohols containing from six to 25 carbon atoms, aliphatic monocarboxylic acids containing from six to 20 carbon atoms, and aliphatic mercaptans containing six to 20 carbon atoms, said nonionic adduct 3) containing from one to 40 mols of ethylene oxide per mol of said organic compound, and being present in the weight proportions of about 5 to 85 parts per 100 parts combined of said nonionic adduct (3) and said aliphatic monohydric alcohol 2), and the molar ratio of the total number of mols combined of said aliphatic monohydric alcohol (2) and of said nonionic adduct 3) to the total number of mols of said phosphorous compound (1) calculated as phosphorous pentoxide, being within the range from about lzl to about 5:1.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene and at least one other monoolefin.

4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the other monoolefin is propylene.

5. A composition as in claim 1 comprising:

A. a non-rubbery interpolymer of a cyclic polyene selected from the group consisting of 1,3-cyclopentadiene, 5-

methyl-l ,3-cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, tricyclopentadiene and S-methyl-l,3-cyclopentadiene dimer and at least one monoolefin having a single copolymerizable ethylenic group selected from the class consisting of n I no. .0111

where R is hydrogen or an alkyl group having up to 20 carbon atoms and R is hydrogen or an alkyl group containing up to 20 carbon atoms, said interpolymer having an essentially saturated carbon chain containing a substantial proportion of the total carbon atoms in the polymer molecule, an intrinsic viscosity of no higher than about 0.4, and at least about 3.5 percent by weight of ethylenic unsaturation in the polymer molecule; and

B. at least about 1 percent of a co-ester of l a phosphorus compound selected from the group consisting of phosphorous pentoxide, orthophosphoric acid and polyphosphoric acid, (2) an aliphatic monohydric alcohol containing from six to 16 carbon atoms, and (3) a nonionic adduct of ethylene oxide and an organic com pound selected from the group consisting of alkylated phenols containing at least one alkyl group of six to 18 carbon atoms, aliphatic alcohols containing from six to 25 carbon atoms, aliphatic monocarboxylic acids containing from six to 20 carbon atoms, said nonionic adduct (3) containing one to 40 mols of ethylene oxide per mole of said organic compound, and being present in the weight proportions of about 5 to parts per parts combined of said nonionic adduct 3) and said aliphatic monohydric alcohol (2), and the molar ratio of the total number of mols combined of said aliphatic monohydric alcohol (2) and of said non-ionic adduct (3) to the total number of mols of said phosphorous compound l calculated as phosphorous pentoxide, being within the range from about 1:1 to about 5:1. 6. The composition of claim 5 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene.

7. The composition of claim 5 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene and at least one other monoolefin.

8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the other monoolefin is propylene.

9. The composition of claim 5 wherein the cyclic polyene is dicyclopentadiene.

10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene.

11. The composition of claim 9 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene and at least one other monoolefin.

12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the other monoolefln is propylene.

* l IIK l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION P ten N 3.678.020 Dated July 18, 1972 lnv fls) Karl F. Schimmel It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 5, line 6, the group:

RC CH2 The prime after R and the double bond are not printed on the Letters Patent as well as on the soft copies.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of January 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents F ORM PO-1050 (10-69) U5COMM-DC 6376-P59 V 0.5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1980 O--366-384( 

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene.
 3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene and at least one other monoolefin.
 4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the other monoolefin is propylene.
 5. A composition as in claim 1 comprising: A. a non-rubbery interpolymer of a cyclic polyene selected from the group consisting of 1,3-cyclopentadiene, 5-methyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, tricyclopentadiene and 5-methyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene dimer and at least one monoolefin having a single copolymerizable ethylenic group selected from the class consisting of where R is hydrogen or an alkyl group having up to 20 carbon atoms and R'' is hydrogen or an alkyl group containing up to 20 carbon atoms, said interpolymer having an essentially saturated carbon chain containing a substantial proportion of the total carbon atoms in the polymer molecule, an intrinsic viscosity of no higher than about 0.4, and at least about 3.5 percent by weight of ethylenic unsaturation in the polymer molecule; and B. at least about 1 percent of a co-ester of (1) a phosphorus compound selected from the group consisting of phosphorous pentoxide, orthophosphoric acid and polyphosphoric acid, (2) an aliphatic monohydric alcohol containing from six to 16 carbon atoms, and (3) a nonionic adduct of ethylene oxide and an organic compound selected from the group consisting of alkylated phenols containing at least one alkyl group of six to 18 carbon atoms, aliphatic alcohols containing from six to 25 carbon atoms, aliphatic monocarboxylic acids containing from six to 20 carbon atoms, said nonionic adduct (3) containing one to 40 mols of ethylene oxide per mole of said organic compound, and being present in the weight proportions of about 5 to 85 parts per 100 parts combined of said nonionic adduct (3) and said aliphatic monohydric alcohol (2), and the molar ratio of the total number of mols combined of said aliphatic monohydric alcohol (2) and of said non-ionic adduct (3) to the total number of mols of said phosphorous compound (1), calculated as phosphorous pentoxide, being within the range from about 1:1 to about 5:1.
 6. The composition of claim 5 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene.
 7. The composition of claim 5 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene and at least one other monoolefin.
 8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the other monoolefin is propylene.
 9. The composition of claim 5 wherein the cyclic polyene is dicyclopentadiene.
 10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene.
 11. The composition of claim 9 wherein the interpolymer contains ethylene and at least one other monoolefin.
 12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the other monoolefin is propylene. 